Family
by Ixae
Summary: Their sibling bonds were challenged, yet somehow they managed to remain a family. A series of oneshots on the Sand Siblings' relationship through Temari's eyes, focusing more on her changing opinion of Gaara.
1. Nightmares and Dreams

**Ever since I first got into Naruto (recently, anyway) I had the idea of writing a story about the Sand Siblings when they were little kids. Then recently I had the idea of making a whole little mini series of oneshots with them throughout their lives. It's all in Temari's POV, and it's mostly about her view on Gaara over the years, but it does involve Kankuro as much as the others. His thoughts just aren't exactly featured. And before you start making judgements, I do love Kankuro. He's one of my favourite characters (though I'm not sure that says much 'cause I have many, many favourite characters). I'm sorry if they're not in-character, especially in the beginning oneshots since they're little. I also made up some of the stuff during their childhood and scenes I wrote about that weren't in the anime so if there's anything that doesn't match canon, please try to ignore that fact.**

**The oneshots are all in chronological order, so they'll be older in each scene (even by a day or two, as is the case with one of them). I have about half of them finished, but unfortunately for me the last half is all the stuff that's in the anime so I'll have to try to make it my own while weaving in actual scenes at the same time. I'm _so_ excited.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

_

* * *

_

Nightmares and Dreams

All was quiet in Suna. The skies were clear, as always, allowing the moon and stars to shine upon the village with their full beauty. The silver light poured into a small room through the exposed windows and onto a young girl no older than six sleeping soundly in her bed. Her sandy blonde hair was splayed across her pillow and her face was totally relaxed, appearing almost ghostly white in the moon's light. The covers moved up and down slightly as she breathed, but she made no noise. The entire scene was almost like the very essence of tranquility.

The peacefulness was interrupted, however, by three quiet knocks on the wooden door.

The little girl's face scrunched up and she rolled over, hoping that if she ignored the noise it would go away.

It didn't.

The three knocks came again, more urgently this time. The girl didn't move, instead called out, "Go back to bed, Kankuro. I'm trying to sleep."

"But Temari..." a little boy's voice whined from the other side of the door.

"Go back to bed," Temari snapped. She didn't want to have to deal with her little brother and his nightmares late at night.

At last all noise coming from the other end of the door ceased. Temari let out a silent breath and relaxed, soon fast asleep once again.

Unbeknownst to the sleeping girl, the door slowly opened. A brown-haired little boy dressed in black pyjamas and holding a doll-sized wooden puppet shuffled in and climbed onto his sister's bed as quietly as he could. He slid himself under the covers and made himself comfortable, before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

He woke not a minute later to being shoved off the bed.

"Didn't I tell you to go back to bed, Kankuro?" Temari asked angrily.

Kankuro's eyes began to glisten, moist with tears. "But Temari, I had a nightmare. I wanted to sleep with you."

Temari tried to hold her fury, but looking at her pathetic little brother about to cry she softened her gaze. "All right, you can sleep with me. But _just _for tonight."

The little boy's entire face lit up and he jumped up on the bed and latched on to his sister. "Thank you thank you thank you Temari!"

"Gt...ff" Temari warned, her voice muffled by Kankuro.

He quickly let go and began to make himself comfortable on the bed. Once she was certain he wasn't about to move, Temari did the same. They both fell asleep within a few minutes.

Less than an hour later a quiet knocking on the door woke them up.

"Go back to bed, Kankuro," Temari mumbled, forgetting he was beside her.

"But Temari, I'm right here."

Temari's teal eyes shot open. That meant there was only one person who could be at the door.

She quickly got up and went over to the door, opening it to reveal a little boy with messy red hair and pale green eyes surrounded by dark rings. He tightly clutched a teddy bear larger than his head.

Temari could hardly believe it. "G...Gaara?"

The boy nodded. He could speak, Temari knew, but he often chose not to. It was shocking to see her youngest brother in the doorway of her room because he was never around for her or Kankuro to see, both because of their father and by his own choice. Temari could only remember seeing him twice; the first was just after he was born and she and Kankuro had learned their mother had died giving birth to him. The second was only a few months ago when he had happened to be passing by in one of the hallways. Although Temari didn't know Gaara very well, she knew that he was rather anti-social and was only comfortable around Yashamaru, their uncle and his caretaker. For him to be in her room meant he trusted them or something bad had happened.

Knowing that asking why he was here would only be answered with silence, she took a different approach. "Is Uncle Yashamaru okay?"

The red-haired boy nodded.

"Is Father okay?"

He nodded again.

She hesitated slightly before asking the last question. "Are _you_ okay?"

Gaara looked slightly confused, as if he didn't know whether to nod or shake his head. Eventually he settled for shrugging his shoulders.

Temari couldn't think of what could be wrong with Gaara. He didn't look sick or injured. He only looked slightly scared. And that's when Temari remembered Kankuro had had a nightmare. Maybe Gaara had had one too.

"Did you have a nightmare?" she asked gently, much more so with him than Kankuro. Since she knew Kankuro better, and knew that he was obnoxious and annoying, she decided to be kinder to her youngest brother.

The little boy looked down at the floor and nodded, clutching his teddy bear tighter.

Temari didn't know much about her little brother, but he looked too scared and helpless for her to just send him away to Uncle Yashamaru, and certainly their Father. She decided to ask, "Would you like to sleep with us tonight?"

Gaara looked up at Temari with something akin to hope and relief. He nodded vigorously, but didn't move. Temari realized he was waiting for her to guide him. He didn't want to enter her room until he was certain he had her full permission.

She almost smiled; who knew a three-year-old could be so courteous? Gently taking his hand, making sure it was loose enough that he could break free any time he wished, she brought him over to the other side of her bed, the side Kankuro wasn't sleeping on. She got up on the bed and pulled him up with her, setting him softly beside her. Kankuro just watched Gaara with mild curiosity and happiness. Temari guessed he was also glad that their little brother had decided to join them.

The blonde girl snuggled under the blankets and closed her eyes. She was surprised to feel her brothers snuggle up to her, and in response she put both arms around them. Temari felt happier than she could put into words. She had both her brothers by her side, and the three of them were truly together for the first time.

She decided that no matter what she would always protect her little brothers, and make sure no harm befell them. Her brothers were the most important things in the world to her.

In the morning she woke to her two brothers resting their heads on her arms, using them as pillows.


	2. Distant

**The first time Temari sees Shukaku's influence over Gaara...They may be a bit old for this scene, but I wanted to make sure that Gaara was old enough that he could speak well. Not much else to say, so I hope you like it!**

_

* * *

_

Distant

Nine-year-old Temari sat on her bed with her younger brothers, playing a board game. Ever since the night the three of them had spent together they often gathered in one of the three's rooms to play a game together. It was sort of like a family bonding tradition. Temari enjoyed it quite thoroughly, despite Kankuro's annoying complaints and Gaara's silence.

She had just finished her turn. Kankuro was just reaching for the dice when Temari heard what sounded like a hushed footstep.

"Quiet!" she hissed suddenly. Both her brothers looked up at her in shock, before looking at her curiously, wanting an explanation. She offered none as she strained to hear another noise, something that would tell her it wasn't just her mind playing tricks on her.

Sure enough, she heard another footstep. It was silent, almost unnoticeable, but Temari had worked hard to heighten her senses; her ears had been trained to hear the slightest sounds, ones that usually only higher-level ninja taught to listen for such noises like chunin and jonin could hear.

"There's someone nearby," Temari finally elaborated to her brothers. "I want you two to act like you don't know, okay?"

She watched, satisfied, as her two little brothers nodded their understanding. Kankuro grabbed the dice and rolled, as Gaara watched silently as usual. Temari could swear that if he weren't right in front of her to see, she wouldn't notice his presence at all. He was quiet. Much quieter than the 'stealthy' person sneaking around.

As she watched Kankuro take his turn, then Gaara his, she listened for the person's footsteps. She couldn't hear them anymore, though she was sure they were still there; either the person had realized they had been heard or they had simply stopped moving.

Temari knew that they couldn't remain sitting defenceless like that for long. If the person was an assassin of some sort, it would be all too easy to kill them. She decided to grab one of her kunai, hopefully without the person realizing what she was doing. She had to be cautious; otherwise the person could kill her or her brothers before she could even touch it.

Slowly and almost unnoticeably, one of the hands she was leaning on began slipping backward, toward the kunai kept secretly under her pillow. To anyone other than a ninja trained in the ways of being observant it would look like her hand was simply giving slowly under her weight. Pausing for a moment, she listened intently. She couldn't hear anything other than the sound of Gaara finishing with his turn and Kankuro fiddling with his miniature puppet. It seemed that the person either didn't realize what she was doing or watching silently. Or, of course, there was always the option she was being too paranoid, and the footsteps had merely been someone in one of the lower levels of the building.

But Temari, even at her young age, was never one to take chances. Not when there were things that mattered on the line. Like the lives of her brothers.

Her hand brushed the edge of the pillow, and she slowly slid it underneath the soft white cushion. A few centimetres further, and she could feel the cool metal of her kunai. Her fingers inched forward to grasp the small weapon...

In an instant a figure appeared behind Gaara. Temari whipped out her kunai and threw it at the man, only for him to knock it away easily with his katana.

Temari narrowed her eyes and let out a low growl. "What do you want?"

She couldn't see the man for his face was shadowed by the hood he wore, but she knew he was smirking. "To carry out a mission," was his response.

As the man began to bring his blade down upon Temari's youngest brother, she lunged forward, hoping to at least knock Gaara away and take the hit instead. But as she put pressure beneath her hands to spring forward, a hand made of sand gripped the katana and stopped it. She froze, shocked. _Sand?_ That meant...

In one swift move the sand yanked the sword out of the man's hand and stabbed him with it, leaving his bleeding form to collapse onto the floor. Temari wanted to move, but found she couldn't. She shifted her eyes to Gaara, who was watching her with an innocent look, but somewhere within the depths of his pale green gaze was something slightly more demonic...

"G-Gaara?" she said, her voice a hoarse whisper.

Her brother didn't seem to hear her. He was mumbling to himself. "He tried to hurt me..."

"Gaara, it's okay, everything's fine now—"

"He tried to hurt me!" Gaara's eyes were wide with fear. "Why? Why did he try to hurt me?"

Temari knew her brother was beginning to panic, and she tried to calm him down. "I don't know, but it doesn't matter. You're safe now."

She pulled him into a hug to try and soothe him. He didn't pull away, nor did he hug back. He simply sat there, limp in her arms, eyes distant, lost in his own world that neither she nor her brother could see...


	3. The Monster Appears

**Title says it all. Well, not really, since it's not _technically _seeing...Anyways, I was originally going to have a scene like this in the oneshot before this but that one ended up going a different way so it ended up here in the next one. The Kazekage finally makes his appearance in this one. I'm not entirely sure of his personality so I gave him as little speaking and actions as I could to try and keep him in-character, though it's hard to know if it worked since I don't exactly know how he is when he's acutally in-character. Hopefully I managed.**

_

* * *

_

The Monster Appears

To say Temari was nervous was an understatement. She was completely terrified.

She, Gaara, and Kankuro had always wanted to see what the world outside Suna was like, so the night before they had snuck out. It wasn't easy for three children to sneak past all the guards, but somehow they had managed. Or maybe they had just gotten lucky. But either way, they had managed to make it to the world outside Suna. It was...sandy. There was sand everywhere, sand, sand, and more sand. It was certainly not what Temari or her brothers had been expecting. But it was still the outside world, and they had enjoyed every moment of being there.

Until one of their father's close body guards had found them. And as soon as they were brought back to their home, they were ordered to see their father right away.

Their father had never been much of a father. At least their mother, or what Temari could remember of her, was kind, loving, and understanding. Their father was none of those things. He was cold, cruel, and heartless. He gave them all beatings on regular occasions, especially Temari for not being able to control their 'bad behaviour', as well as the fact that she was the oldest. Though Temari suspected he gave at least almost as many beatings to Gaara in private. He had always harboured a strong hatred for her poor little brother that she could not understand.

But maybe it had something to do with the time Gaara had nearly been killed almost a year ago...

"Kazekage, I have brought your children like you asked," the man escorting them said.

"...Enter."

The man opened the door and ushered the three in, before closing it behind him. "Thank you, Lord Kazekage," he said, bowing in respect.

Temari and her brothers sat before the Kazekage, their father. She could feel herself shaking with fear, but she forced herself to look up at him. He was dressed in his usual Kazekage attire, blue and white robes with a hat to match, and his face almost completely hidden except for his eyes. He stared at the three of them in turn, before his gaze rested on Temari.

"Why did you allow your younger brothers to go outside of Suna?"

Temari winced. His voice was quiet, but she knew it was just the calm before the storm.

"They wanted to see the outside world...we all did." Much as her brothers, or rather just Kankuro, could annoy her at times, she wouldn't blame it all on them. Even if she was the oldest, and therefore to blame for any decisions her brothers made according to their father, she knew he would beat them brutally for it being their choice. Though there was also the chance she would be beaten twice as hard for blaming it on them.

But that didn't matter, because she had taken the blame, even if it was in the form of all of them being at fault. That meant her father would most likely only beat her, maybe her brothers just a little, which meant they were safe and she would take the beatings meant for them. She wasn't willing to let their father hurt her little brothers, even if it meant she had to be injured for their sake.

"...I see." Their father's answer was short. Meaning talking time was over, and he would get on with the beatings. Or hopefully just beating.

It was silent for one moment, two, three...Then out of nowhere Temari was struck. The Kazekage had moved so fast no one would have realized he had moved at all had it not been for Temari's now red cheek where he had struck her. She placed her hand over the wound gingerly, trying not to look like it bothered her so her brothers wouldn't worry. But it made no difference; she had been struck, and they had seen it.

While Kankuro thankfully remained silent, Gaara spoke up in Temari's defence. "You have no right to hit Temari like that!"

What on earth was Gaara thinking? Standing up against their father like that, he would be beaten for sure! Temari couldn't stand the thought of her brother being injured like that, so she quickly intervened. "He didn't mean that, Father, he was only—"

"_Silence!"_

The command was hissed, almost unable to be heard, but as soon as it had escaped the Kazekage's lips everything in the room seemed to stand still. Daring to look up at her father, Temari could see he was fuming. She quickly looked down again, afraid he might kill her simply by glaring.

"How _dare_ you speak to the Kazekage like that?" the guard demanded in a strained whisper. His fingers inched toward his katana. "For such an unforgivable crime, the only suitable punishment—IS DEATH!"

The guard charged at Gaara too quickly for Temari to react. But there was no need; Gaara's sand protected him from the blow. It slowly spiralled up the katana, getting a good grip on it, as Gaara stood up.

"The only one who will die here...is you."

After Gaara finished his statement, Temari saw something horrible, much worse than the look she had seen in her youngest brother's eyes a year before. The sand began to form around Gaara, and his face took on a more beast-like form. With his strangely yellow eyes, he looked like some kind of monster...

In one, cruel blow it was all over. Gaara crushed the man, and his body fell limply to the ground. He didn't get up again.

Gaara reverted to his normal form, and left the room without a word. Temari could only stare in shock. That..._thing_...was her brother?

No...it wasn't. In some way she knew that whoever or whatever the thing that looked like Gaara was, it certainly wasn't her brother. Somehow the appearance of that creature had signified her brother was gone...Disappeared to somewhere she could never hope to reach...

One of her brothers was gone. And she would do everything in her power to make sure that _monster_ never took her other brother.

Her mother had died, her father was a heartless man, and her youngest brother had disappeared.

Kankuro was all she had left.


	4. Flicker of Hope

**Sorry about the odd skip in this one. I really had no idea what to do in between the last one and this one, so I just stuck with this. It's pretty short and meaningless; I'd call it a filler chapter but since it's a oneshot...filler oneshot. Yeah. That'll do. Also, in case you couldn't tell, this takes place just before they make their debut in the anime.**

_

* * *

_

Flicker of Hope

"Wait'll the Leaf gets a taste of what we Sand ninja can do," Kankuro taunted.

Temari nodded, her lips curving into a smirk. Suna had allied itself with the Sound, and they were planning to attack the unsuspecting Konoha during the Chunin Exams, which happened to be conveniently hosted there. They were posing as innocent genin, though they still actually _were_ genin, and when the time was right they would unleash a deadly attack on Konoha, leaving it pathetically weak or destroyed altogether. Personally, Temari hoped for the latter.

Gaara remained silent, staring straight ahead but not seeming to be looking at anything in particular. Temari wanted to beat him up, demand to know what he had done with her little brother that had been stolen three years ago, but she wisely did nothing. She may have been angry, but Gaara could easily kill her, as she had seen him do to countless others, at least half of whom had been completely innocent. They had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Temari gulped, thinking of what it would be like if it was _her_ who one day ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Something wrong, Temari?" Kankuro asked. Gaara said nothing, but shifted his eyes ever so slightly toward her.

"No," she replied, scowling when she saw Kankuro's grin.

"You're not..._scared_, are you, Temari?" he mocked.

Temari sent a death glare at her brother. "_No_," she hissed.

Kankuro shrugged, his teasing grin still in place. "Whatever you say," he said in a sing-song voice.

Acting on her anger, Temari whipped out her large fan and sent a gust of wind Kankuro's way. Not enough to send him flying, or even give him minor cuts, but enough for the message to get through his thick head.

"Ow..." Kankuro whined. "Temari hit me!"

Temari rolled her eyes. "Stop acting like such a child!"

"Both of you be quiet."

Instantly the two bickering siblings stopped, forgetting about their fight in the fear that Gaara would get angry with them. Though they didn't have much to worry about right now; Gaara needed the two of them to enter the Chunin Exams, which required three-man squads. But after that...they were fair game.

Temari was furious that Gaara had so much power over them. One false move and they were dead. But, as much as she wished to do so, Temari could not stand up to Gaara. At least, not without ending up in the afterlife. So until she found a way to overpower Gaara and get her brother back, she would have to swallow her anger and follow Gaara's orders. And as soon as she did, he would end up killed twice; once in this world, and a second time in the afterlife. There would be nothing but darkness for Gaara for the rest of eternity. It would serve him right for taking away her youngest brother.

_I'll get you back,_ she promised the _real_ Gaara. The Gaara to her left looked over at her, as if he had heard her thoughts. Although she tried not to, she could not help but look into his pale green eyes and swore she saw, for an instant, the real Gaara. But it was gone as quickly as it had come, and Temari dismissed it as her imagination.

The real Gaara was gone, stolen by that monster three years ago. But Temari would find a way to bring him back, no matter what.


	5. Love

**This one is definitely my favourite oneshot so far (because of the last scene), although the first one is pretty close. Just so you know this is just after Gaara and Naruto's fight.**

_

* * *

_

Love

To see Gaara lying beaten on the forest floor was shocking to say the least. Ever since Gaara had been lost to that monster Temari had hardly ever seen him get a scratch. Seeing him lying on the ground, forehead bleeding and chakra reserves dry, was...There were no words Temari could find that accurately described the situation, or how she felt. But as she looked at Gaara, so exposed and powerless, she couldn't help the pity and empathy she felt for him rush to the surface. She managed to shift it into a look of mere concern, but it was so much more than that. As she looked at Gaara now, somehow she knew...she had her brother back.

She wanted to hug him, to cry into his shoulder about how happy she was to see her real brother for the first time in years, but with the small audience nearby and Gaara's injured condition she knew it would have to wait until later. Or perhaps even never. She still didn't know if the real Gaara was back for good or not, and even if he was, she didn't know if he would want her hugging him. Even as the real Gaara, he was still able to kill her without blinking an eye.

Kankuro heaved him over his shoulder, and the three of them turned to their small audience, Sasuke and Naruto. Gaara looked up at them, as if telling them something without using words. In the next instant they were gone, heading back to their homeland.

Their trek through the forest was mostly silent. But they didn't really have anything to say. No, Temari thought, she and Kankuro had a lot to say, she could tell by the look on his face, but there were no words to put their thoughts into.

"Temari...Kankuro..."

Both siblings looked over at their younger brother, still being supported by Kankuro. His voice sounded no different than usual, and yet there was some tone in his voice that the two heard that was different. It sounded almost...regretful.

"_I'm sorry..."_

The words were spoken softly, in what could hardly even be called a whisper, but they reverberated loudly in Temari and Kankuro's ears. Never in either of their lives had they ever expected Gaara to be sorry for anything. At least, not since he had disappeared.

The tone in his voice told them that there was much more he wanted to say to them, but was either too weak or couldn't put it into words. Temari glanced over at Kankuro, a look of surprise and shock mixed into one on her face. She was too shocked and happy for words, but she had no idea what to say to him. Kankuro met her glance for an instant before turning back to their little brother. It seemed he was having difficulty as well trying to find something to say to him.

Eventually he settled for, "Don't worry about it." He and Temari hoped that would convince him that all was forgiven and they were simply glad to have their brother back.

On the second night of their trip back to Suna Temari noticed that something was bothering Gaara. She didn't know how she knew, since she had never really been able to read her brother before now, but somehow she just _knew._ She guessed it was because of some sort of sibling bond.

"What's wrong, Gaara?"

He jumped slightly at the sound of her voice despite the fact that she was whispering. It was then that she knew something was bothering him; Gaara would not have been surprised by her unless he was too distracted by something else to notice.

It was silent for a moment. Temari waited patiently for what she hoped would be the answer to her question. His words, however, disappointed her. "You should be in bed."

"I'm not tired, and anyways, it's almost my turn for watch," she replied, shifting to sit beside him. He stiffened a bit at the act, but didn't move away or say anything.

"Why do you insist on watches?" Gaara asked. "You know I can't sleep, thanks to Shukaku."

"Because even if you can't fall asleep you still need to rest," Temari scolded, then softened her voice so she didn't sound like an overprotective mother. "Look, I know you're practically invincible and all, but Kankuro and I are your siblings, and we just want to help you."

Temari noticed him flinch slightly as she said siblings, and continued after a short pause, "You didn't answer my question, you know."

"What question?" he asked, though she knew he knew what she was talking about.

"I asked you what's wrong."

"...I'm fine."

"Clearly not," she said. "Now tell me what's wrong."

Gaara looked as if he were going to argue some more, but after seeing Temari's _I'm-your-big-sister-so-you-have-to-listen-to-me_ look, he sighed in defeat. "Temari, how...how can you and Kankuro be so forgiving to me, after everything I've done?"

Temari blinked. "Is that all?"

Her brother glanced at her with a look that said, _What do you mean, 'is that all'?_

She couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "We're siblings, Gaara."

It was silent for a moment, and Temari could tell Gaara was waiting for her to elaborate. When she didn't, he sighed again. "I don't understand much about bonds..."

"You don't have to," Temari stated. "You just feel them."

Gaara looked over at her, his expression somewhere between relief and utter confusion. Temari had to admit, it looked quite adorable on his face. It reminded her of Gaara when he was little.

On impulse, Temari leaned over and kissed his forehead gently. Gaara's eyes widened at the contact, and he stared at the ground with a light blush appearing on his cheeks.

"I love you, Gaara," Temari said softly, sincerity in her voice. Glancing over at Kankuro's sleeping form, she added, "We both do."

"Love..." Gaara repeated.

"Yes, Gaara...Love."

And as Temari watched him, she could have sworn she saw some sort of understanding in his eyes at the word.


	6. Agonizing Wait

**I'm sorry if this one is short or somehow feels incomplete, but it was originally going to be the end of the one before this. After the last scene that I added unexpectedly, it was getting to be too long so I had to put this into a separate chapter. Plus I got kinda stuck on what to write since I didn't need to put as much detail in it at first, so I probably rushed it a bit.**

_

* * *

_

Agonizing Wait

_Tick, tock...Tick, tock..._

Would that stupid clock ever stop ticking? It was agonizing enough for Temari to be sitting in the waiting room, anxiously awaiting any news about her youngest brother. For the clock to actually dare to torment her further by ticking obnoxiously...

_SMASH!_

Kankuro looked up, surprised, at the sudden noise. He saw the clock, which had previously been up on the wall in front of him, lying smashed on the ground, and his sister glaring angrily at it, fan still open.

"Geez, Temari, calm down," Kankuro said, his tone not in any way helping her. "It's not polite to destroy other peoples' clocks, you know."

Temari shot a death glare at him, effectively shutting him up.

How could he remain so calm when Gaara was in a hospital and they hadn't heard any news about him in two hours? She supposed that he either didn't care or he was really good at masking his emotion. Knowing what a complete idiot Kankuro could be at times, Temari decided to go with the former.

Taking her now closed fan, she smacked him hard on the head with it. "You could at least try showing _some_ concern!"

Kankuro rubbed his head, trying to ease the pain of being smacked by a four-foot-long fan. "Geez, I'm sorry for not worrying to death about Gaara."

Temari narrowed her eyes at her brother's sarcasm, but didn't do anything. She decided that having both her brothers in the hospital in one day wasn't the smartest idea. _But tomorrow..._She smirked to herself. Tomorrow he would wake up in a hospital bed.

"Temari? Kankuro?"

Both siblings turned their head to see a medic ninja standing just outside Gaara's room. She had a smile on her face. "Gaara is just fine. He received no serious injuries. He'll be free to leave the hospital in just a few minutes, but I'd suggest making sure he gets plenty of rest for the next few days. His chakra reserves are extremely low, so he's not going to be able to do much for a while."

Temari let out a silent breath of relief. Gaara would be okay. Maybe a bit tired for a while, but he was alright. She looked over at Kankuro and was pleased to see a relieved smile on his face as well. It was good to know he cared as well.

The next few minutes were even more agonizing to Temari than the two hours they had already waited, but eventually the door to Gaara's room slid open.

As soon as Temari saw her brother emerge from the hospital room, the first thing she did was embrace him in a huge hug. He didn't resist.


	7. Change of Heart

**Kind of a short one, but I really couldn't think of much to add in this one. Some of the scenes in this story are more fillers for different parts in the story. Hopefully most of the ones after this will have more of a pupose and won't just be there so there's not as big of a gap between stories (not counting the first few with years in between). And Golden Dragon, thanks very much for all your reviews and helpful criticism, it's good to know what I'm doing wrong because I don't usually think everything through and make ridiculous mistakes. It's also good to know someone's reading this! ;P**

_

* * *

_

Change of Heart

Temari ran alongside her two brothers, feeling the beginnings of fatigue but not letting it slow her pace. Speed was of the utmost importance if they were to get to their destinations in time.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Temari found her mind wandering back to a few hours ago...

_Temari blinked in shock at Lady Tsunade's request. She didn't know the Uchiha kid all that well, but to find out that he left the Leaf Village of his own free will, and to Orochimaru? Though it did happen, it was rather rare to hear of a ninja leaving their village, especially one who never seemed to express desire to leave and then suddenly disappear._

_But her surprise wasn't just the mission itself, it was _who _she had chosen that shocked her the most. Tsunade had chosen Temari and her siblings for the job. She knew that the Hokage had asked Suna for help to give them a chance to prove their re-established alliance, but to choose _them_, choose _Gaara_, for assistance? The last time Gaara had been in the Leaf, he had been taken over by Shukaku and run rampant during the Sand and Sound's attempt to wipe out the Leaf. Of course, Tsunade hadn't been in the village at the time, but there was no way, especially now that she was the Hokage, that she couldn't have heard about the attack on Konoha. So why would she trust Gaara to the mission, even if he had had a change of heart?_

Maybe the Leaf is more trusting than the Sand,_ Temari speculated. It wouldn't be too far off. The Sand had always believed in the 'every person for themselves' rule. They were trained to let nothing get in the way of their duty, and taught to never make friends with anyone. They were independent and self-isolated. Trust was not something that fit in their way of life._

_Returning to the present situation, Temari turned to look at her two brothers to see their reactions. Kankuro seemed hesitant to want to assist; she couldn't blame him, he had always been afraid of the consequences of breaking Suna's unwritten laws and it became somewhat of a habit for him to instinctively follow them. She knew he was a good person, and, in his own way, would be glad to help others. But he, like the rest of them, was used to Suna's reclusive ways and unaccustomed to the openness of countries like Konoha._

_Her teal eyes shifted to her youngest brother. Gaara was completely still, no emotion but passiveness showing on his face. Temari, though, could see past his indifference through his pale green eyes to know what he was feeling. His eyes had lost the demonic look to them after his defeat against Naruto and it became much easier for her to see his emotions through them._

_What she saw surprised her. Gaara didn't appear hesitant to help at all. In fact, he seemed almost eager to assist the Leaf. She couldn't understand why._

"_Gaara...?" she trailed off._

"_I owe the Leaf...I owe the Leaf a great debt."_

_It was those few words that made everything clear to Temari. Gaara wanted to repay Naruto for showing him there's more to life than killing others, and for showing him what it feels like to love._

She still couldn't believe that Gaara was so willing to help out, but she supposed that she was just used to the old Gaara and not the new one. Looking over at him, she could see the same sense of determination to help as she saw before. Her lips curved into a small smile. Naruto really had changed him. At first she didn't believe that an idiot like him could be capable of such a thing, but now she knew better.

_Thank you, Naruto...Without you I may not have gotten my brother back._

She was indebted to Naruto now, and she intended to repay that debt by helping him and the others.


	8. Taking Sides

**Thanks Lilac Rose6, for your review! It encouraged me to write the next chapter (and kinda reminded me of this story's existence...heh, heh...) so here it is! This one was originally going to be just the first bit, but after seeing how short it was I thought of that idea and wrote it. Now it's over 2500 words! I'll warn you now, Gaara may be a bit out of character. If he is, I'm really really sorry but he kinda had to be for the idea to work. He wouldn't have been as out of character if I had just stuck to the first bit and not added on, but I figured I'd give making a longer chapter a try. Probably a bad idea but I still like it so I'm sticking with it. I'm prepared for the worst, so I'll be fine!**

**And for fans of the pairing, this chapter kinda focuses on Shikamaru/Temari. I couldn't resist!**

_

* * *

_

Taking Sides

"Thanks again," Shikamaru said, facing the three siblings with his back to his village. "I had to ask you guys to teach at the Academy 'cause we're a bit short-staffed at the moment. I'm sure you would have rather gone sight-seeing-"

"No problem," Temari cut him off, "I helped out 'cause I enjoy it." Although it wasn't just teaching the kids that she enjoyed, not that she'd ever admit it.

"Same here," Kankuro agreed. "Besides, these kids are the future of the Leaf's military power. It was a good opportunity for us to evaluate them."

_Figures he'd turn it into an advantage against a possible future enemy, _Temari thought exasperatedly, though she knew Kankuro secretly enjoyed teaching the kids. He always said he didn't like children, but that was just to appear tough. Truth was, Kankuro loved kids the most of the three siblings. Not that that said much, since Temari had little patience for people weaker than and not as smart as she, and Gaara was just beginning to learn to care for people other than himself.

"Yeah," Shikamaru replied. Temari figured with his observation skills he couldn't have missed the hinted meaning behind Kankuro's words. But if he noticed it, and whether or not he knew it was just a joke, he didn't act as if he did. "Well, careful getting home."

"Okay," Kankuro said, and the three turned to leave. Knowing she couldn't miss a perfect opportunity to tease Shikamaru, she stopped and turned to face him.

"I'll see you next time you need to be rescued," she taunted. "Just let me know and I'll come. You big cry-baby."

If he was bothered by the insult he didn't let it show. He simply smiled. "You girls are all alike. You had to get the last word in, huh?"

_Him and his sexist comments._ Temari simply laughed and turned to catch up with her brothers who were quickly shrinking down the path. She was rather glad her brothers were out of earshot of their conversation. They might..._misunderstand._

It took her only a few graceful leaps using her ninja speed to catch up to them. She felt relieved now that the mission Lady Tsunade had sent them on was finished, although not necessarily completed. It hadn't been very difficult, at least not for them since they had come in fresh and ready for battle and had easily defeated their opponents. Unfortunately Sasuke couldn't be brought back to Konoha, but at the least everyone was alive and recovering.

But when she noticed the grin on Kankuro's face her relief changed to fear.

"Wanted a few seconds alone with your boyfriend?" he taunted.

Temari's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. She huffed and turned away from him, hoping he wouldn't notice. "He is _not_ my boyfriend! He's not even from Suna! Why would I get myself mixed up in love between two different countries?"

"But you do _like_ him, don't you?"

After making sure her cheeks were their regular colour, Temari turned around sharply and whacked Kankuro on the head with her fan. "Would you shut up? I do _not_ like him!"

Kankuro rubbed his head, which was beginning to sport a slightly comical round bump underneath the black hood he wore, but his grin still remained intact. "I knew it," he said to himself. Temari heard, but chose to ignore it for now. She didn't want to injure her brother _too_ badly; otherwise she'd have to carry him during the entire three-day trip back to Suna.

It was silent for a bit during the trip, something Temari was very grateful for, until Gaara spoke up in a quiet voice, almost unable to be heard. But Temari did.

"Kankuro is right."

Temari was shocked to say the least. Her eyebrows raised and her mouth dropped open as she tried to say something. "Wha—But—You...I-I don't—Argh!"

Kankuro snickered at her flabbergasted look, and even Gaara's mouth twisted into a small smirk. Temari fumed and proceeded to smack Kankuro again, in the same spot as before. The small bump had now turned into a large oval-shaped ball that stood taller than the cat ears attached to his hood.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, putting a hand to his head again. "Stop hitting me! And why don't you hit Gaara?"

It was a pretty stupid question. Even if it was only a harmless, playful hit Gaara's sand would protect him, so there was no point in her even trying to give him a soft flick to the forehead.

"You know why," Temari said, not wanting to bother explaining it to her brother who she was sure had forgotten the reason why. It wasn't surprising; he often forgot things like that.

Kankuro grunted and crossed his arms, looking rather childish. "You just favour Gaara over me."

"True," the blonde kunoichi responded, causing Kankuro to pout further. If she didn't know better she would have thought Kankuro would start crying. Luckily for her he wasn't that childish. Anymore, at least.

Suddenly the puppet master had a devious grin on his face that Temari did not like one bit. He leapt over to Gaara and whispered something in his ear, and her two brothers went on ahead so there was enough distance between her and them to converse in secret.

Temari really didn't want to know what they were plotting, so she held back. She just hoped Kankuro wasn't poisoning Gaara's mind. One Kankuro was more than enough for her to handle. Two was just unthinkable.

After a few moments Gaara turned and disappeared into the forest, and Kankuro held up a bit to rejoin Temari. He still had that grin on his face, though it was more controlled than before.

"What are you planning?" the Sand kunoichi demanded, her face twisting into a look of suspicion. "And where is Gaara going?"

"Nothing, nothing," her brother replied nonchalantly. "Gaara's just going to get some firewood for when we stop to make camp."

Surprised, Temari looked up to the sky. Sure enough, the sun was beginning to set. It was later than she had expected. Turning back to Kankuro with a wary look, she replied, "Alright, I'll believe you for now. But you're up to something, and somehow you got Gaara involved in it."

When Temari turned away she could see Kankuro's smirk return from the corner of her eye. _Just as I thought, something's up. I just have to figure out what._

The sun had set by the time Gaara had returned with the firewood. Temari watched him carefully for any change in his usual behaviour. He seemed the same for the most part; he was still as silent as ever, doing what he was asked without question and involving himself in conversation as little as possible. Despite his change, he was still having a hard time getting used to caring for people other than just himself.

But something was bugging Temari. Throughout the entire evening he had a smirk plastered on his face. It was small, almost unnoticeable, but with Temari's sharp eyes and extensive knowledge of Gaara's expressionless face after being around him so long it was almost impossible for her to miss.

Both her little brothers were definitely planning something. But Temari hadn't the slightest clue what, and that was what scared her. The older of her two brothers was extremely deceitful and mischievous, as she had learned from experience, so she had to be on her guard at all times.

Throughout the evening nothing unusual happened, other than Gaara's smirk which still bothered Temari greatly, and soon they were settled in to sleep. Temari had volunteered to take the first watch, even if it was pointless with Gaara's insomnia, but she had insisted he needed rest, even if he couldn't sleep.

With the worry of Kankuro's plan being put into action Temari was twice as alert as usual. Who knew what her brother could be planning? She certainly didn't want to find out, but if she had to know she didn't want to find out the hard way.

_Thump...thump..._

Her entire body tensed upon hearing the noise. It sounded like quiet footsteps, designed to blend in with the sounds of the forest, but with her skills she easily noticed the difference. The forest was rather quiet that night, so it wasn't too hard for her to pick up a distinct noise like footsteps when otherwise all she could hear was the quiet rustle of leaves in the wind.

Quietly, so as not to draw her brothers' attention, she slipped her fan out of its resting place and held it at the ready. She shifted her position into a half-crouch, not wanting to let the person know she was onto them but needing to be ready to dodge or attack at a moment's notice.

Soon she could see the figure in the distance, a dark shape among shadows. Were it not for the pale moonlight she probably couldn't have distinguished the shape at all.

As it drew closer she sent chakra into her fan, preparing a wind attack to catch the person off guard. Once they were close enough she sent a gust of wind their way in the blink of an eye. It hit its target dead-on.

She heard a cry cut short and a quiet thump as the person hit the tree. A bit ungraceful for a pursuer, ninja or not, but she supposed it could happen to someone who wasn't as experienced as jonin or even chunin when it came to being surprised.

Temari prepared her fan for another attack when the person cried out, "Wait, Temari! Stop!"

_How do they know my name? _Then she recognized the voice and it hit her.

"...Shikamaru?"

The figure picked itself up and leapt down from the tree, walking forward into the moonlight. Temari could now clearly recognize the signature pineapple hairdo and look of boredom. It was Shikamaru, alright.

"Yeah, it's me," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Sorry about that, but I wanted to make sure I didn't draw the attention of any unwanted company."

Temari nodded in understanding, though she was utterly confused at why Shikamaru had followed them all that way. "And the same to you for attacking like that. I wouldn't have attacked if I had known it was you, Shikamaru."

"Shikamaru's here?"

Both ninja turned to see Gaara facing them with a look of confusion, and, much to Temari's chagrin, amusement. Kankuro was next to him wearing an identical expression on his face, having been woken by Temari's attack.

"Is there trouble?" Kankuro asked, amusement gone from his face as he began taking Shikamaru's appearance more seriously.

"N-no," Shikamaru stuttered, and to Temari's surprise she saw a hint of pink on his cheeks. But as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished. He turned to her and asked, "C-can we go somewhere else, where we won't be overheard?"

The kunoichi was quite shocked. Not only had Shikamaru blushed, or so she thought, but he had stuttered. Shikamaru _never_ stuttered. Even though she didn't know him as well as others, she could tell just by his genius mind that he would never intentionally be caught in a situation where he wouldn't have something planned. On top of that, he had asked to see her _alone_. Temari was certain a light blush was now covering her own cheeks.

"Y-yeah, sure," she managed to reply, glaring at her snickering brothers (full-out laughing in Kankuro's case) before turning to follow Shikamaru into the woods.

Once Shikamaru had gone far enough that they wouldn't be overheard by Temari's brothers unless they had followed, he stopped and turned to Temari. She could see hesitance and fear in his eyes, and his entire body said _'nervous'_. What he had to be nervous about, Temari had no idea. If nothing was wrong, why was he so afraid?

Temari had to ask herself the same thing when she felt her heartbeat speed up.

"T-Temari..." he drifted off, scratching the back of his head uncomfortably. Temari could see the blush on his cheeks again, this time twice as red as before.

"What is it?" she pressed, wanting to get an answer out of the Nara. If there was something that bothered him _that_ much, she wanted to know what it was. It would be good blackmail for later, though for some reason she had the feeling that it would backfire on her, making it blackmail for _her._ How she knew that, she had no clue, especially since she couldn't think of anything that would end up making her the one being blackmailed.

It was silent for a few moments as Shikamaru seemed to gather his courage. Finally he spoke. "T-Temari...I've been meaning to tell you...I was going to tell you just before you left but I couldn't work up the courage...Temari, I..."

The Sand kunoichi waited patiently for Shikamaru to finish his sentence. When he didn't give any indication he was going to continue anytime soon, she grabbed him by the shirt and shook him. "Spit it out already!"

"Temari, I...I...l-love you."

The words were spoken in a whisper, but Temari heard them as if they had been yelled in her ear. She froze, releasing her grip on the Nara. Her teal eyes were wide, and she stared unseeingly at Shikamaru. Her mouth opened and closed, as if she was going to say something but couldn't. Finally she managed, "Wh-what did you say?"

"I-I said I love you," he repeated quietly, his face turning bright red.

"Sh-Shikamaru..." Temari didn't know what to say. Sure, she liked him, not that she was ever going to admit her brothers were right, but for Shikamaru to come out and say he loved her? She wasn't entirely sure if what she felt for the lazy Nara was love or not, so she had no idea how to react.

When she heard laughing, however, her face twisted into a look of shock. When she turned to look at Shikamaru she had to blink twice to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

Where Shikamaru had just been was Gaara.

Laughing.

At her.

More laughter from behind her alerted her to Kankuro's presence. "You should have seen the look on your face! Priceless!"

Temari felt her anger beginning to rise. She clenched her fists tightly, turning to face Kankuro and another Gaara. "Explain. _Now_."

Between bouts of laughter Kankuro obliged. "When Gaara left to get firewood, he sent a sand clone back here."—Said clone of Gaara turned into a pile of sand at Kankuro's feet—"The real Gaara was hiding a fair distance away, waiting until night to return to the campsite as Shikamaru. Man, you should see how red your face is! And the look of shock at 'Shikamaru's' confession! Hah-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Kankuro rolled onto the ground laughing, his face turning red. Temari whirled around to face Gaara, who was still laughing though he had more control over himself, and demanded, "Is this true?"

A nod of affirmation confirmed it. She stood still, taking on an appearance of calmness. Once her two brothers were finished laughing, she spoke.

"I'm going to _kill_ you two."

Kankuro chuckled, taking a deep breath to replace the air he lost from all of his laughing. "Okay, it might be true that you can kill me, but there's no way you can kill Gaara."

"Oh, really? Why don't we find out?"

The puppet master shared a look of fear with Gaara (less so on his part) and the two took off into the trees. Temari stared after them and smirked.

Time to find out if that sand could protect Gaara from her wrath.


	9. Accepted

**Thanks very much to Deathcomessoon for the review encouraging me to continue (and reminding me that this story still exists!). Really sorry about the long wait and the disappointing update, but this story was kind of going downhill and I just really didn't feel like continuing it. Plus I needed to sort out the remaining few chapters, three of which remain after this. I originally had six or seven, but a few of them were pointless fillers (although you could say the same about this one) and I combined the rest of them so I don't have to write really short ones like this. I would have combined this one as well but I have no ideas to combine it with, so it's a short one. It was actually going to be even shorter, but I realized what a disappointment that would be and extended it, so if it seems as though there's two or three different themes for this, that's why.**

**This oneshot is the start of the ones in Shippuden. I was originally going to do one about the ultimate weapon arc, but I realized I wasn't going to end up with a worthwhile chapter. Again, sorry this isn't the best chapter for such a long wait, but I needed to put this idea into the story and there was no idea I could combine it with that would make it seem like one chapter. Hopefully within the next two weeks I will write another chapter to make up for this one, but if I don't you can expect it around Christmas because I've got a week of free time before then and I don't have much to do.**

_

* * *

_

Accepted

As Gaara walked into the room, wearing the official Kazekage robes, Temari couldn't have felt prouder. How he had gone from being the village's strongest weapon and hated by everyone to the Kazekage they all looked up to, Temari had no idea. But she was glad that her brother was finally accepted by the people of Suna.

"So, what's it like?" Kankuro asked. "Being the village's leader, and all."

Gaara walked over to his desk and sat down, thinking about his answer for a moment before replying. "It's still strange. I'm so used to people looking at me with hate in their eyes, or pretending not to know I'm even there. Now everyone smiles and nods at me, and they cheer for me. It will take a while to get used to, but...it's nice."

"Well you deserve it," Temari said. "After all, you did help save some of Konoha's ninjas, and all of the bad stuff you did was just influence from Shukaku."

He didn't look as certain of that as Temari felt, but he didn't try to argue. Silence settled in the room, and no one really bothered to break it. It was a comfortable silence. The kind of silence that could be between family.

_Family,_ Temari thought. _We're a family again._

Using the word to describe her and her brothers felt foreign to her. When was the last time she had considered the three of them to be family? Not for a long time. Not since..._things_, as she refused to bring up the topic, had happened.

But the past didn't matter anymore. What was done was done, and now they could finally start making up for the time they had lost as kids. Temari knew they wouldn't be doing little kid stuff together as they were too old for that; just being with them and talking were enough for her.

_We're getting a second chance,_ she realized suddenly. After everything they had gone through in their childhood that had prevented them from being a true family, they were being given a second chance to amend things.

She turned to look at Kankuro. He had been somewhat selfish and spoiled as a child, mostly because he was their father's favourite. Or rather, he wasn't one of his fathers' least favourite children. Once their family had been practically disowned by their father, Kankuro took to caring for only himself. He helped his siblings when it benefited him, including avoiding Gaara's rage. He also disliked being told what to do, and often got into fights with Gaara when he thought he could tell Kankuro what to do by threatening him.

Then there was Gaara. Their father had in no way loved him. He had been brutally beaten and abused by their father for no reason at all. Then, of course, it was he who ordered the Shukaku to be placed inside of Gaara at birth, causing their mother to die and their father to blame him for that, too. During the few times Gaara had fought back against their father, or simply tried to dodge his blows, their father got even angrier with him. Eventually Gaara lost control of his temper and attacked anyone within range. Everyone hated him and tried to avoid him as much as possible, fearing that they would be the next to be attacked.

Lastly, Temari looked at herself. She had tried to protect both of her brothers when she was younger, but that only ended up with her father beating her as well. Once she had seen Shukaku take over Gaara, she believed that he was no longer her brother. She always feared for her life and tried to keep Gaara calm so she wouldn't be his next target. Temari took Kankuro's side mostly because she knew she at least stood a chance against him in battle.

They all had their flaws, and they all had problems with each other in the past. But now they were together again. For the first time since they were little, they were truly a family. And Gaara had finally been accepted by Suna. For once, they weren't shunned outsiders in their homeland.

"Man, the perks of the Kazekage being your brother are _awesome_!" Kankuro exclaimed as he stared at a large platter of food an attendant had brought in.

They were a whole _new_ kind of outsider.


	10. Pitting Family Against Death

**Thanks for all the recent...ish reviews that inspired me to keep on writing! Sorry I keep leaving this story, but I'm getting to the stuff that I'm so afraid I'll ruin, and then every time I watch the episodes I'll be constantly reminded of this. And, of course, I'm lazy, but what with Christmas and all, I've got excuses. But I am still working on this story, and it may be done today or tomorrow or something. But don't take my word for it, just because I've found a pattern with that; I'm all inspired to write and everything, then I don't go back to the story for a month or two. But I'm promising you guys that I'll try just as soon as this is posted. So if you're reading this right now it means I'm either succeeding or failing at this task.**

**Only two chapters of this left, unless I find reason to put in a third. I'm not going past the Kazekage rescue arc because the next time they apNopear is farther than I've watched (I prefer the english anime, which they are being lazy at coming out with, and reading the manga can be a hassle since I spend enough time on the computer as is), plus I think that would be just dragging out this story. I've got to stop posting stories without planning them, or seeing if I want to keep writing them, because it usually ends up backfiring and I've got four stories I don't feel like writing. But I'm getting better. Hopefully I will be able to finish this off quickly but well-written.**

**Note: I'm not sure if I said this last chapter, since that was a while ago and I have short-term memory sometimes, if I ever have a ! and ? in my chapters, I have to put a space between them or else it deletes the other one automatically. It looks weird, but at least it gives it the kind of meaning intended.**

_

* * *

_

Pitting Family Against Death

Temari walked at a moderate pace back to Suna, eager to see her brothers but not wanting to expend too much of her energy. It was a long trip back to her village and she was still in the Land of Fire's forests.

"Temari!"

She stopped and turned around, feeling that she recognized the voice but couldn't quite place it. The trio of Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura, the one that had called out her name, landed behind her, all with rather grim faces. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like what she was about to hear.

She didn't.

"Gaara? !" she exclaimed, once she had heard the story. "You mean he's been...?"

A nod from Kakashi confirmed it. Temari narrowed her eyes in frustration and anger as she remembered the teacup that had suddenly cracked. She had never really believed in omens so she had dismissed it without a lot of thought, but now she realized how foolish it was for her to ignore a possible sign of danger during a time like this.

_I knew something was wrong..._She was angry with herself for not trusting her instinct that there was trouble, and angry that she hadn't been there to do something. Her own brother, taken by the Akatsuki...She clenched her fists tightly so she wouldn't be tempted to grab her fan and wipe out the surrounding trees. There was nothing she could do now but get him back, and destroying the forest in frustration only wasted what time her brother had left before...Well, she was hoping it wasn't going to get that far.

The one thing Temari had never understood was why it was Gaara. He had always been the one suffering the most, with Shukaku trapped inside him and turning him into a monster, their father's hatred of him and their mother shrieking and cursing him as she died and he was born...Now this. Just when Gaara was accepted by the people of the Sand, he was captured and most likely going to be killed. Temari desperately wished she could take his place, and she was sure that Kankuro felt the same. Perhaps once they got back to Suna she and Kankuro could go save Gaara together, and show him that he wasn't alone, and they weren't going to let him die. They were finally a family again. There was no way Temari would let anything get in the way of that anymore.

Kakashi's voice brought her back from her thoughts. "We're two and a half days out from the Sand. We should hurry."

She didn't think she could respond, but her lips moved of their own accord. "Right."

Without another word the four of them hurried towards Suna.

As they did, Temari learned of Naruto's side of the story. She knew that he had changed Gaara, but she never really knew why. She understood it was important to help people, but she never really knew why Naruto felt so strongly towards him.

Inside him was the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Just as Gaara had the One-Tailed Shukaku.

They were the same.

It all made sense to Temari. Naruto could understand Gaara's pain because he himself had felt that pain. The pain of being alone, being looked at like a monster...

"And he had to fend for himself a lot longer than I ever did."

Temari looked away, remembering all the times she had ignored or been afraid of her brother, because of Shukaku. She had believed her brother to be gone. But maybe he had been taken over because she, like everyone else, had never given him a chance. Because no one was willing to show him he was not alone. She had apologized to Gaara after he had changed, but she had never thought he had been suffering partially because of her. She had been so set in her belief that it was Gaara who was causing everyone else pain. And now, if they didn't get to him in time, she may never get to apologize for doing that to him.

When she felt something wet on her face she looked up in surprise. Naruto was...crying? For Gaara...?

_Maybe...Maybe it's better if Naruto saves him._ He meant more to Gaara than she did, and she was sure Gaara would be happy if the first person he saw was Naruto. She was certain that Naruto could show Gaara he wasn't alone. Naruto knew Gaara's pain much better than she did.

_Naruto Uzumaki...I..._

_...Thank you..._

**-X-x-x-X-**

As they reached a sandy expanse indicating the Hidden Sand Village was nearby, Temari took the lead. They didn't get too far, however, because they had to take cover from a sandstorm that blocked their path to the village. They sat in a cave, watching the wind propelling the sand around in spirals and loops.

Naruto was angry about having to stop, but Temari calmed him down by telling him it was too dangerous to go out in a storm like that, and that it wouldn't last very long. But truthfully she was just as frustrated as him. Every minute wasted brought Gaara closer to death. The only reason she could act so calm was because if she let any of her anger show she wouldn't be able to control her emotions and start swinging her fan around, creating an even worse storm than the one they were sheltering from. She had to be patient, just until they reached Suna.

Soon enough the storm was over and they were racing across the desert as quickly as before, eager now that their destination was in sight. They were greeted by two Sand ninja guarding the entrance, and they had news that couldn't have come at a worse time for Temari.

"What? ! You say they got Kankuro as well? !"

"Yes," the guard replied. "When an enemy took Lord Kazekage, Kankuro went after them by himself. He was poisoned, and we haven't been able to find anything to counteract it. He won't last much longer."

_Kankuro..._

"Damn," she cursed. Both of her brothers, at risk of death...Just when they were starting to become a family, they have to be targeted by misfortune again..._Why? ! Why does this always happen to us? !_

Were they just not meant to be a family...?

Temari's gaze hardened. That didn't matter. Even if the whole universe was against it, she would make sure they stayed a family. She had promised herself she wouldn't let anything get in the way of that. Not even death.


	11. Relief and Worry

**I'm getting worse at titles...**

**Anyways, it turns out the next chapter was indeed successful! I think this one is my favourite so far, because it's so long and I really like how Temari's love for Kankuro turned out, though I can't say for sure how in-character they are. I was so afraid that I wouldn't be able to write that because I've been writing about Temari and Gaara for most of this story, but I think it turned out well. A lot of the anime (dubbed) is in this one, but I tried to work my own thoughts and stuff into it. A couple parts feel like they go a little too into the anime stuff, but I couldn't end the scenes early so I just kept them going and tried as best as I could not to just keep on writing what's in the anime. That's not really what fanfiction is about, is it?**

**Also, I wasn't sure where to end this one because I was looking through the episodes to see if Temari told Kankuro that she didn't end up going with Naruto and his group and I couldn't find anything, but I saw the scene with Baki and Kankuro where Kankuro was already informed about Chiyo being on the squad, so I went ahead and pretended it was Temari who told him about that stuff. So I just added that scene to the end of it and decided it was long enough and ended the chapter. There's one more to go, and like how this one skipped the extraction of the poison in Kankuro, the next one will be skipping ahead to when Gaara wakes up, and then skipping ahead again when the three siblings are alone so I can put my own stuff in it without all of Suna as an audience. The next and final chapter could possibly be up tomorrow, but I doubt it will be done tonight considering these past two chapters took me at least four and a half hours, and I don't know if I want to waste most of my night doing the next one. Still, the prospect of finally finishing this is tempting...**

_

* * *

_

Relief and Worry

Temari sighed in relief as Sakura announced that Kankuro was no longer in immediate danger. Her brother was safe...He wasn't going to die...

She suddenly felt dizzy and leaned against the wall just behind her, sliding to the floor as she realized her legs couldn't support her. _He's safe...Kankuro is safe...Thank you, Sakura._ She didn't know what she would do if she was left to worry about both of her brothers' lives.

She looked over at Kankuro, watching as he slept. He looked so peaceful, nothing like he had before when his life was in danger and he had been in pain. Temari was glad he could sleep, but she longed for him to wake up, to talk to him so she could really know he was alive and well, and not about to leave her at any moment.

Gaara was pushed to the back of her mind, for which she felt guilty, but she couldn't think about both of her brothers at once. She just couldn't. Worrying over both of them overwhelmed her, and while Gaara was who knows how far away, Kankuro was right in front of her. She had to care for him first; she couldn't just run off in search of Gaara until she knew Kankuro was alright. If she was to go after Gaara, she needed Kankuro by her side. She needed to know that he would be with her, offering support when she needed it. And she needed them both to be by Gaara's side when he was rescued, so he would know that he had the love and protection of both his siblings.

Hearing quiet gasps and relieved sighs, Temari stood and was instantly by Kankuro's side. He was awake.

Some of the tension in her released, and she gave a quiet sigh. Kankuro was awake. He wasn't going to leave her before he could regain consciousness. She felt indescribably relieved, and glad, though she still had lingering fear for her other brother. She wanted to be happier Kankuro was okay, but she couldn't be completely reassured until she knew that Gaara was safe as well. But for now, she could be glad she wasn't about to lose both of them.

Her attention was drawn back to Kankuro, whose unfocused eyes were trying to make sense of the images in front of him.

"Kankuro, are you alright?" Temari asked, watching as his eyes slowly turned to her.

"Temari...? You're back already?" His voice was quiet from underuse, but Temari was glad to hear it again.

"I heard the village was in trouble," she responded.

"I'm sorry...to be such a bother."

"Shut up!" she retorted. "Don't be ridiculous!" He wasn't a bother at all, not when it came to his life being in danger, and there was no need to apologize...Well, maybe there was, for making her worry so much, but now wasn't the time to bring that up. She wanted to enjoy every moment she could with him before they had to go after Gaara.

To her right she could hear Kakashi talking to Baki about finding the scent of the Akatsuki. Kankuro interrupted them. "There's no need for that." He struggled to sit up on the cot, startling Temari. What if he reinjured himself? There was no way she could handle both her brothers being in danger again.

He had already sat up before Temari could stop him. As she watched him, scrutinizing his expression and body language carefully, she decided that she would wait to see if he seemed to be in a lot of pain before trying to hold him down. She knew that he would be too stubborn to listen to her unless he was in enough pain to admit it would do him good to rest; she would feel the same way if she were in his position.

Kankuro revealed that he had Crow take a piece of the Akatsuki's clothing, so it would be easy for Kakashi to find them by scent. Kakashi went over and picked up the cloth, commenting on Kankuro's capability to go down fighting. He nodded, wearing a proud grin, but immediately winced and clutched his stomach in pain.

"Kankuro!" Temari cried, bending down so she was at his level. "What is it?"

He looked about to reply, but noticed Naruto standing at the end of his bed. Temari followed his gaze in understanding. "Yes. He came all the way from the Leaf Village to help us."

After a moment of trying to focus his eyes, he asked, "Is that...Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Hey there," Naruto replied, quieter than usual but wearing a smile.

"...I see."

Temari was about to ask what he meant by that, but just then Kakashi used a summoning jutsu to bring forth a group of ninja hounds. Naruto engaged in a short conversation with one of them, Pakkun, she thought she heard Naruto say, before Kakashi broke them up and presented the dogs with the fabric. They sniffed at it, then dashed off in pursuit.

Naruto began talking about how they would leave as soon as the dogs returned, but was silenced by Kakashi and the arrival of Ebizo and Chiyo. They approached Kankuro, who was surprised to see them.

"There's something we must know and only you can tell us," Chiyo said. "Am I correct in thinking that one of your opponents, the one you fought with, was Sasori?"

Kankuro let out a long breath, but didn't reply.

"Well? Speak up, Kankuro," Ebizo prompted.

"...Yes, Sasori of the Red Sand. He told me so himself."

Chiyo was silent at his response, even when pressed by Kakashi to speak.

Later, Temari watched as Sakura brought back an antidote that would get rid of the poison lingering in Kankuro's body. He grimaced at the taste, but diligently drank all of it. Sakura then ordered him to lie down and rest, which Temari heavily agreed with. He had done enough by trying to get Gaara back, now he could just leave it to her and the others.

While a bit of conversation went on around him, Kankuro remained silent, staring at his hand but clearly somewhere else. Temari wished she knew what he was thinking about. She was sure it had something to do with Gaara, but she didn't know what. She had noticed that her two brothers were close to each other, closer than she was with either of them. It made her glad, to know that both of them were happy, although it also made her feel a bit left out.

"Naruto..." Kankuro said suddenly, in a quiet voice but one that drew the attention of everyone in the room. "Save my little brother, will you?"

Temari was surprised to hear him say something like that. Was he really willing to admit he wasn't in any condition to go after Gaara? Was he okay with letting Naruto do it for him?

"Don't worry, I will. After all, I'm going to be Hokage someday. And for now the Kazekage can just owe me one."

**-X-x-x-X-**

Temari stayed with Kankuro the entire night, despite Baki's wishes, worried that he might try to leave her again if she didn't remain by his side at all times. She stayed in the cot next to him, talking quietly with him until he was too tired to stay awake any longer. His quiet breathing eventually lulled her to sleep.

In the morning, just outside the recovery room, she was told Gaara's whereabouts were known.

"What? Gaara? You sure?" She was too intent on Gaara to remember to keep her voice down in case she woke Kankuro.

"Yes, ma'am," the Sand ninja replied in an official tone. "They've found where the Akatsuki have taken him. The Leaf Village ninja are getting ready to move out."

"So will we. I want you to put together a pursuit squad," she ordered. "And be quick."

"Right." He turned and left to follow her instructions.

"Temari..."

At the sound of her brother's voice Temari rushed back into the room to his side. To her surprise he was trying to sit up. "Kankuro, what do you think you're doing? !" she scolded him. "You're not going anywhere, you need to rest."

He looked at her with understanding, if a bit reluctant, but his eyes begged her to let him help. There was _no way_ she was letting him out in his condition, no matter how much he wanted to help Gaara, or how much she wanted him by her side.

"I give you my word, I'll get Gaara back." He needed to see that he was far too injured to not end up being a liability to the mission, and that she understood how strongly he felt about saving Gaara. She felt the exact same way.

Kankuro was silent, and Temari was worried he would refuse and try to go anyway. She was sure that he would find a time when she wasn't looking and escaped to go after Gaara by himself again, and she wasn't sure he would be as lucky the second time if he ran into more danger, which was inevitable. And she was worried he wouldn't like the idea of her going. If she didn't have Kankuro's support, she didn't think she could do it. It was hard enough to watch Kankuro near death, poisoned...who knows what she would find when she got to Gaara.

Finally he gave her a half-smirk, half-smile, and she returned it. She could see in his eyes how much it hurt him to let her go without him to save their brother. She hoped that he could see she understood that, and that his support gave her strength. And above all, she hoped, if it wasn't already obvious, that she was glad he was alright.

"Well, I guess I should get going," she said, not wanting to leave Kankuro but she needed to get Gaara back.

"...Yeah."

On impulse she pulled him into a hug, mindful of his injuries. She felt him tense in surprise, but he wrapped his arms around her in return. Temari could feel tears forming in her eyes but she held them back.

"I promise I'll bring Gaara back, I won't give up until I do."

"I know, sis, I know."

She reluctantly let go of him, knowing she had to leave. Kankuro grasped her hand and squeezed gently, telling her everything he couldn't put into words. She gave him a small smile as she squeezed back, then left the room, determined to find Gaara so the three of them could be together again.

Gathering the squad together, she led them to the spot where Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura were expecting them. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she apologized.

The group was prepared to leave, but they were interrupted by Baki's appearance. He looked over at Naruto's group, then at Temari's.

"Temari, you and your group are to stay here. Patrol the perimeter."

_What? !_ After rushing back to Suna when she heard about Gaara, after Kankuro being poisoned and rendered unable to go after him, after Temari promising to do it for both of them, she was just supposed to _stay here_?_ !_ Gaara was hers and Kankuro's _brother,_ and _no one_ was going to stop Temari from leaving to get him back.

"Are you kidding me or what? !"

"Orders. From above."

Temari gasped in disbelief, knowing she'd been beaten.

"If word gets out that the Kazekage is missing, our enemies may use it as an opportunity...to launch an attack on the village."

"Come on!" one of the pursuit squad ninja retorted.

"Don't you get it? ! That's all the more reason we have to get him back as quickly as we can!" Temari argued. "Look at these Leaf ninja. They left their village and came all the way here just to help us rescue Gaara. And Gaara isn't even their leader! He's our Kazekage! The Sand shinobi should be the ones to save him!"

"I'm sorry," Baki said.

"Well _I'm_ going!" a voice from the top of one of the buildings called out. Temari recognized the voice. Lady Chiyo...?

She stood on the railing of the building, looking down at them. "If a Sand shinobi is needed then I'm the one to go."

"Granny Chiyo?" But she hardly any more fit to travel than Kankuro was!

"But...But you're so..." Baki trailed off.

"I'm retired, yes. Which means, of course, that I'm free to do whatever I want."

The squad ninja were just as concerned. "Yes, but...the journey will be difficult!"

"Bah! Don't treat me like a fossil!" She leapt down from the roof, landing in front of Naruto and Sakura who flinched in surprise. "After all, it's been a while since I've doted on my adorable grandchild."

Temari, her team, and Baki followed the four to the entrance to Suna. She was forced to accept that she wouldn't be going with them right away to save Gaara, but she would be going later on. At least for now, she could rest in peace knowing that Naruto and the others were going after her brother.

"All right, we'll head out on our own then," Kakashi stated.

"Thank you...I'll try to convince the council to change their mind."

"Don't worry, we'll catch up with you," Temari said, assuring herself more than Naruto's group. She would be able to relax for a while with them going after Gaara, but she wouldn't be fully at ease until she saw Gaara with her own eyes.

"Heh, by the time you can catch up with us, we'll have already rescued Gaara," Naruto countered.

"We'll see you soon," Sakura finished as they left. Temari watched them go until they disappeared, wishing desperately to chase after them but knew that the village needed her. They could handle things until she arrived. And, hopefully, Kankuro. Though she worried that if Kankuro was well enough to travel by the time she was allowed to follow them it might be too late.

She returned to the recovery room to check on Kankuro, who was surprised to see her.

"You're still here? I thought you went after Gaara."

Temari avoided his gaze as she checked him over to make sure he hadn't been straining himself while she was gone. "I was ordered to stay here by Baki. Lady Chiyo is going with them."

His eyes widened with surprise. "Chiyo?"

She nodded, still not making eye contact with him. "She's going with them to save Gaara. Meanwhile I'm stuck here patrolling. I...I'm sorry. I tried to convince Baki to let me go, but—"

"It's okay." Kankuro grabbed her arm and gently pulled her down to his level. Temari didn't resist; she was too shocked to do anything. "I understand it wasn't your choice. I am a little upset you didn't get to go, but I know that you tried. That's all I can ask."

"But I could have tried harder! I could have—"

"Temari," he interrupted, his tone taking on a stern edge. "You don't have to blame yourself. I understand." His voice softened as he continued. "We're both just worried about Gaara. And I know you're worried about me as well. You need to relax. I'm fine, and Gaara will be too."

Temari's shoulders sagged slightly as Kankuro said what she had been trying to convince herself of. It had no more meaning than when she said it, but it felt good to have her brother say it.

"Thank you," she replied.

"No problem."

He released his grip on her, and she stood up straight. "I'd better go..." She headed towards the entrance to the room to meet up with her patrol group.

"Don't worry, he _will_ be fine."

She turned to face her brother, a small smile on her face. "I know."


	12. Against All Odds

**Well, it's the end of this story. I'm really sad now, because after the first few chapters I actually started liking this story, and now I've written all the really cute family bonds stuff and I'm still not satisfied! But adding another chapter to this would be pointless, because there's no more I can write about that wouldn't end up being a totally separate story. This one might be out of character, especially at the end, but I tried hard to make it all work. I'm not so pleased with this chapter because it didn't turn out how I wanted it to, but I hope it will suffice. Also, Temari's thoughts might drag on a bit because I was trying to write a decent length and I don't think it worked out all too well. The ending scene definitely didn't go as I had planned and doesn't really feel right, but it's probably because it's rather out of character for them. But I had to write that scene and I think despite the OOC-ness of it I did a pretty good job.**

**Just to clear this up in case people start asking, the beginning stuff up until Gaara wakes up will probably seem non-canon because I wanted to write about Temari thinking Gaara was dead and it didn't really show what happened between when Chiyo and Naruto performed the reanimation and when Gaara woke up so I worked my own stuff into it. And this next part is pretty pointless but I'll clear it up for you anyway. When you see where Kankuro and Temari are once Gaara wakes up, Temari is where Kankuro was there before Gaara woke up and she ran to his side. I had to do that because when Kankuro comes over to her I thought it would be weird for him to just get up and walk away from his revived brother, so...yeah. That's about it. I hope you've all enjoyed this story, and maybe next time I'll write my own story about the sand siblings.**

_

* * *

_

Against All Odds

_Liar!_

Temari felt slightly guilty for calling Kankuro a liar when there was no way he could have known, but she couldn't help it. He _promised_ Gaara would be alright! He promised her she wouldn't have to worry!

And yet there she was, staring numbly at Gaara's lifeless body.

She was hardly aware of the many Sand shinobi surrounding them, or even Naruto, who clutched Gaara tightly, watching him with a deeply concerned expression. She knew Kankuro was nearby, healed enough to come with them, but she couldn't summon enough anger to glare at him. All she could do was stare at Gaara, thinking if she had run just a little faster...

But that wouldn't have made any difference. She had been told by Kakashi that they had found Gaara like that. His spirit had left his body long before she could have arrived to do anything about it.

He was dead.

Her promise and her efforts had been for nothing.

And she couldn't even cry.

_She _was the one that felt lifeless.

Part of her wished that Kankuro would stand by her side, comforting her, but she knew that he was too proud and ignorant for that. He would expect her to be doing the same as him; trying to tough it out. Even though he probably felt just as distressed as she did, he didn't understand that the presence of another was much more comforting. Not that it would make any difference. She needed Gaara's presence, not Kankuro's. No matter how much she loved Kankuro he couldn't replace Gaara, just as Gaara couldn't replace him. They were her brothers, and they meant the world to her, even though she hadn't exactly shown them that.

Especially Gaara.

Temari had run and hid from him in fear as a child. She had believed that he was a monster who had taken over her real brother. But the truth was, he had only become that because everyone had avoided or blamed him...

...just as she had.

And now that she had realized she was wrong, she would never be able to apologize.

It was over.

He was dead.

She was left with a hole inside that grew a little larger with every second that went by.

Looking over at her brother again, Temari wished it were just a dream and she would wake up, both of her brothers safe and by her side.

She had been doing that every few seconds, whenever her eyes wandered over to Gaara.

She never woke up.

No matter how much she wished otherwise, she was in reality. Her brother was really dead, and he wouldn't be coming back. She would never be able to apologize for all the terrible things she had done to him, especially being ignorant of him.

After she realized some of the worst pain for Gaara came from ignorance, she promised herself she would never be ignorant of anyone ever again. Now she desperately wanted to break that promise, to ignore everyone and everything around her, to forget any of it ever happened. But she knew that no matter how hard she tried, not even if she _could_ forget it all, she would never be able to forget the pain. It ate away at her, tearing off a little more with each bite. Soon she would be small enough to be swallowed whole by it. Then she would be nothing.

But the pain would still be there. Even after it had devoured her entire being, it would linger, hungry for more.

Temari guessed it had already eaten her shoulder, because she didn't realize a hand had been laid on it gently until a quiet voice said her name. Tilting her head ever so slightly to the left, she saw that Kankuro was crouching next to her.

She wanted to pound him two hundred feet into the ground with her fan and bury him there for lying to her. He promised her that when they were finally able to go after Gaara he would be waiting patiently for them to arrive. But when they had arrived, he wasn't even there anymore. He was dead, even though Kankuro had promised he wouldn't be.

Temari knew it was ridiculous to believe her brother was alive by only the promise of her other brother, but at that moment she didn't care. All she knew was that her youngest brother was dead, and Kankuro was as good as to blame for promising her he would be just fine.

But despite her fury, she only laid her hand on top of his and clutched it tightly, as if it was her lifeline and it could disappear at any moment. Or maybe it was _his_ lifeline, and she was afraid that he would leave her as well if she didn't keep a tight grip on him.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered. Temari didn't have to ask to know what he meant. He believed himself to be to blame for saying Gaara would be alright, just as she did.

Instead of retorting that it _was_ his fault, and that if he hadn't gotten her hopes up she could have dealt with Gaara's death a little easier, she gripped his hand tighter as the two watched Gaara's eyes flutter open.

...

_Gaara!_

Forgetting about Kankuro for the moment, Temari rushed to Gaara's side and watched in disbelief as he slowly sat up, helped by Naruto whose relieved expression was probably even stronger than hers.

Once Temari was certain Gaara was alive and well, she wondered how he could have possibly survived. She noticed that across from Gaara and Naruto was Chiyo, laying limply and having to be supported by Sakura. Ebizo stood just behind them.

_Wait...Did Lady Chiyo...?_

She looked over at Sakura for confirmation. Her head dipped slightly, and she clutched Chiyo even tighter.

Temari felt her spirit plummet as she learned the truth. _Lady Chiyo..._

"You sure had us worried there," Naruto commented, drawing Temari's attention back to Gaara.

Kankuro joined them, a grin on his face, though Temari could see that he had been just as worried as she was only minutes ago. "No kidding. You caused us a whole ton of grief there, little brother."

_Who do they think they are? !_ They may be the closest people to Gaara, but that didn't mean he wasn't the Kazekage!

"Will you two quit putting on airs already!" she scolded. "Gaara's the Kazekage, remember? Ugh! Show a little respect! ...Nitwits."

Ignoring the two's glares, she pushed Naruto out of the way to be by her brother's side. "Gaara! Talk to me, how do you feel?"

Temari watched with worry and dissatisfaction as Gaara tried to stand instead of giving her a simple 'yes' or 'no'. "Easy," she warned, hiding the part of her that wanted to scream at him for daring to try and stand just after he had made her worry so much when he was dead. "You shouldn't get up too quickly. Your body hasn't completely recovered from the rigor mortis yet."

Relieved that Gaara was listening to her and resting, she quickly got up to stop Matsuri and Sari from getting too close. She couldn't risk him being injured after he had just been brought back to life. But she could understand their enthusiasm. Seeing Gaara brought back to life like that...Everyone's relief and cheer surrounded them, creating a bright atmosphere.

Once Naruto mentioned Chiyo, however, the mood darkened as Kankuro explained that the jutsu Lady Chiyo had used brought Gaara back to life at a high price. Gaara seemed especially disturbed by the news, and attempted to stand again. With a little help from Naruto, he rose and walked over to Chiyo and Sakura.

"Everyone...pray for Lady Chiyo."

Temari closed her eyes along with everyone else. _Lady Chiyo...thank you for saving my brother._

**-X-x-x-X-**

After clearing up some business and saying a final farewell to Lady Chiyo, Temari and her brothers joined the Konoha group at the entrance to the Sand Village to see them off.

"Well, so long," Kankuro started off, and Temari had to resist rolling her eyes. After all the Leaf ninja had done for them, and after all that had happened, _that's_ how he said goodbye?

"Uh...yeah," Naruto replied. There was a pause as he stared at Gaara, wanting to speak, before looking at the ground in discomfort. "Heh, I guess this is where people are supposed to shake hands and get all choked up...but I've never really been good at that stuff, either, so let's just leave it—"

Gaara held out his hand, silencing him. Naruto stared at it, both disbelieving and glad, but he didn't move. As a form of encouragement, Gaara's sand guided his hand. Naruto smiled as he let the sand manoeuvre his hand to Gaara's and the two shook.

Temari smiled as she watched. _He really has changed...Thank you, Naruto..._

**-X-x-x-X-**

Shortly after watching the Leaf ninja depart Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro returned to the Kazekage's office. Kankuro and Gaara were talking about happier issues, to lighten the dark mood caused by recent events, while Temari watched them fondly.

_Gaara and Kankuro...they've changed so much from when they were little. Gaara used to care only for himself, and Kankuro was selfish and cruel, but now they're better people._

Temari's smile slowly slid into a frown as she looked back on her own faults. _I was always so mean to them...And I stopped loving them when they were no longer little kids, even though they're my brothers..._

"I'm sorry..."

She didn't realize the apology had slipped out of her mouth until she noticed her brothers staring at her with confused expressions.

"Sorry for what?" Kankuro asked. "You didn't do anything."

Before she could stop herself words were pouring out of her mouth. "Yes I did! Ever since we were little I've been so terrible to you two! I ignored Gaara and I was always rebuking you for making the slightest mistake! And now that I've realized that I just assumed I was forgiven, but I didn't even ask! If I were in your places I wouldn't forgive me, so how could I even consider that you would?"

With tears pricking at her eyes she turned to leave, but was stopped by two hands grasping her arms.

"It's okay, Temari, we forgive you," Kankuro insisted.

"We have never once blamed you for what you did in the past," Gaara added.

"Let me go!" Temari struggled to get out of their grips, but they held on tightly. She gave up resisting and turned to them. "I know you do, there's no way you could forgive me for being such a terrible sister—"

"Would you just shut up and listen! ?" Kankuro exclaimed, shocking Temari into silence. "We don't give a damn what you did in the past, all we care about is who you are now!"

"Yelling isn't going to help the situation, Kankuro," Gaara stated, before turning to Temari. "But he's right. You were a different person in the past. What matters to us is the person you are, not the person you were."

"But I—" Temari's comeback died in her throat as she felt both her brothers' arms around her. After a moment of hesitation she hugged them back. It reminded her of when they were little, as close as any other family, before everything started getting in the way.

But against all odds, they were still together. And Temari was never going to let anything ruin that again.


End file.
